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January Update: John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital

Updated: 1/31/2014

Fundraising, clinical and operational planning plus community support highlights recent progress for the physician-led plan to build a new children’s hospital on the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus, including:

Fundraising - The fundraising campaign for the John R. Oishei Children's Hospital continues with its goal of raising $42 million. To date, approximately $36 million has been committed to the campaign. Some of the major contributions to date include TOPS Friendly Markets, the James H. Cummings Foundation, New Era, the Alfiero Family, Fisher-Price/Mattel, The Children's Guild Foundation and the John R. Oishei Foundation. In addition, Kaleida Health continues to seek a major government contribution and/or grant for this project.

Planning - Members of the Physician Strategic Planning Committee and the 28 user groups comprised of nursing and other clinical staff, administrative leads/support staff, families of patients and others, have signed-off on the proposed interior design and floor plans.

Hematology/Oncology - As communicated previously, plans for collaboration between RoswellPark and the John R. Oishei Children's Hospital continue to be developed. Current plans are for inpatient hematology/oncology services to be provided by the John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital on the 12th floor and outpatient hematology/oncology services at RoswellPark. This change to the John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital operating inpatient and RPCI operating outpatient services necessitated an amendment to the certificate of need (CON) already approved earlier in 2013.

An amended (CON) for the John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital has been submitted to the New York State Department of Health (NYSDOH), increasing the total bed compliment for the new hospital to 185 to include eleven additional beds for an inpatient hematology/oncology and bone marrow transplant unit. The Dormitory Authority of New York State (DASNY) approved the architectural review of the new hospital plans, with RPCI included. Approval of the new CON is now anticipated in March/April 2014.

Kaleida Health met with the US Department of Housing and urban development (HUD) in December to begin a preliminary review of the project. HUD is Kaleida Health’s partner for new hospital and construction financing. Once financing is in place, official construction can begin.

Hospital site preparation – Ellicott Street (between High and Goodrich Streets) has re-opened. It was closed for construction on the new pedestrian service tunnel connecting the Buffalo GeneralMedicalCenter and the John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital site. Ellicott Street has been re-paved by the City of Buffalo and has been switched to two-way traffic to help facilitate movement around the campus.

City planning – The City of Buffalo and its related entities have approved the environmental impact statement (EIS) and given official site plan approval to build the new hospital. The organization will obtain city approval for “air rights” or the easement above Ellicott Street for the bridge connecting Buffalo GeneralMedicalCenter with the new hospital.

Community outreach – Hospital officials continue to meet with neighbors, business leaders and block clubs as part of the Women & Children’s Hospital of Buffalo “reuse planning” process. The Project Advisory Committee has met four times and has developed a community values statement plus initiated work around market research and a development request for proposal (RFP).

Medical office building – Ciminelli Real Estate’s $100 million Conventus project is underway. The building, at Main and High Streets, will house the Women & Children’s Hospital ambulatory services as well as practice plans from UBMD.

For more information about the John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital, please go online at www.wchob.org/oishei.